Get to know Canadian hoops star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of NBA MVP announcement
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He impressed enough to earn a scholarship to Florida as a four-star recruit and was ranked 35th by ESPN in his high school class (cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker, his opponent in the Western Conference final this year was ranked 21st), but kept generating buzz after attending a Basketball Without Borders camp and was one of the youngest players to ever make Canada's senior men's national team in 2016.
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Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Home court not so sweet for Sea Bears
Home court hasn't been an advantage for the Winnipeg Sea Bears lately. The past two seasons saw Winnipeg's professional hoops squad go 15-5 inside Canada Life Centre, but this summer, they find themselves on a three-game slide on their own floor. Their latest defeat, which dropped them to 1-4, came on Saturday night in an 88-73 loss against the visiting Ottawa BlackJacks (2-2). The Sea Bears have now lost four straight games, all by double digits, since prevailing 92-89 over the Edmonton Stingers in the season opener. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Alex Campbell (centre) said Tuesday the team is still optimistic about their season despite dropping their last four contests. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Alex Campbell (centre) said Tuesday the team is still optimistic about their season despite dropping their last four contests. 'I think we've got a younger group and it's taken a lot to realize how special this fanbase is and I don't think we've come out and played with the sense of urgency that I feel like we could, and I don't know why that is,' said veteran Canadian guard Alex Campbell after Tuesday's practice. 'We're still optimistic… It's about gelling and building this thing back up. We have one ultimate goal at the end of the summer, obviously, and we want to build up towards that.' Campbell and head coach Mike Taylor insist the team isn't on cruise control since they're hosting the CEBL's Championship Weekend (Aug. 22-24). They are guaranteed to play in the league's Western Conference championship game no matter how they finish the regular season. The last three hosts — Montreal Alliance (6-14 in 2024), Vancouver Bandits (8-12 in 2023), and Ottawa (8-12 in 2022) — all went into the final four weekend with losing records and none of them made it to championship Sunday. 'I think we've seen the last few years that (hosting) has not been easy for teams to handle. We're trying to avoid, we'll say, the trap of a challenging season and a difficult time to win games,' said Taylor. 'We've gotten off to a slow start, so I think the most important thing for us is to take ownership and understand where we are and understand where we want to be and work to get there.' MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said hosting the CEBL Championship Weekend can lead to complacency during the regular season. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said hosting the CEBL Championship Weekend can lead to complacency during the regular season. 'I do have to say, there can be some complacency and that urgency you normally have when you're playing, it's something that we have to address… (But) we're working hard and going in the right direction.' Inefficient shooting has plagued the Sea Bears. They're dead last in both field goal (36.7) and three-point percentage (25.7). 'I feel like we're getting the right looks, it's just more self confidence because teams are kind of labelling us as non-shooters, so I think that's getting into a lot of players' heads,' said American power forward Jaylin Williams, who had 16 points and five rebounds against Ottawa. 'It's just about boosting confidence and believing in those shots is the main way to improving things. A lot of guys can shoot, I mean, I see it with these guys in practice every day, they all can shoot, it's just about putting it together in games.' The good news is help is on the way as star Canadian centre Simi Shittu is expected to join the team on the road this weekend when they take on the Brampton Honey Badgers (0-5) Friday and then the Scarborough Shooting Stars (3-0) Saturday. The six-foot-10 Shittu, who is arriving late as he was finishing up the Greek Basketball League season with his club Promitheas Patras, is an accomplished name in the summer circuit as he was named to the All-CEBL First Team and All-Canadian Team in 2023 when he was a member of the Calgary Surge. Supplied / CEBL Winnipeg Sea Bears' Simi Shittu is expected to join the team on the road Friday against the Brampton Honey Badgers. Shittu spent the 2023 season with the Calgary Surge. Supplied / CEBL Winnipeg Sea Bears' Simi Shittu is expected to join the team on the road Friday against the Brampton Honey Badgers. Shittu spent the 2023 season with the Calgary Surge. Shittu isn't expected to play this week since he'll need some time to get comfortable with his Winnipeg teammates. 'In the past, we had the star mentality where we built things around Teddy (Allen), we built things around Justin (Wright-Foreman). We made an effort to have more of a team approach this summer, and the early results are not as productive as we have been, but we have Simi coming in,' said Taylor. 'Simi is important because we've never had an athletic rim protector that he can provide. He's also a player that can settle guys down. When other teams go on a run, we can throw the ball into the post to him and play through him. He can play multiple spots on the floor, and is a big, physical body that will help with the physical presence of our team.' The Sea Bears will return to downtown Winnipeg on June 11 to square off against Montreal. Former Sea Bears guard Mason Bourcier officially signed with the Edmonton Stingers on Tuesday. Bourcier requested his release from Winnipeg last week as the 25-year-old from Kelowna, B.C., was frustrated with his role on the team. He played over 20 minutes per game with the Sea Bears in 2024, but saw his playing time slashed in half through the first three games this summer. 'We wish him all the best, we wish his family all the best, but (his tenure here) had run its course,' Taylor told the Free Press. 'At this point, our team is really together, and the roles are set. Hopefully we can replace him with a more productive player, a better player.' Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
MLB sees double-digit viewership increases in US and Japan
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball's viewer numbers in the United States and Japan during the first two months of the season have seen double-digit increases, MLB and Nielsen reported Tuesday. ESPN's coverage is up 22%, averaging 1.74 million viewers. It is the most-watched season on ESPN through the first two months since 2017. This might be the last year ESPN is carrying baseball after it opted out of its rights deal in February. The MLB Tuesday package on TBS has a 16% increase. Fox Sports is up 10%, averaging 1.84 million viewers per game. Last Saturday night's 18-2 rout by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Yankees averaged 2.2 million on Fox. The streaming package has seen its viewers increase 27%, with more than 7.5 billion minutes watched through Monday. Games on the NHK channels in Japan are averaging 2.7 million. The average does not include the Tokyo Series games between the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs which began the regular season. The ratings are on pace for MLB's most-watched regular season in Japan as the audience has increased every year since 2021. On streaming viewership has increased 27% vs 2024, which was the most-watched season in the history of the service. For games through Monday, June 2, has more than 7.5 billion minutes watched this season. ___ AP MLB:
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
‘It's exciting to have worked ourselves back': Oilers set for Stanley Cup rematch with Panthers
Connor McDavid stood along the boards and waited for his teammates. The Oilers had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. McDavid rewrote the NHL's playoff record book with a jaw-dropping performance as part of a memorable post-season run that ultimately ended in Florida's sweltering heat inside Amerant Bank Arena. The gutsy effort — Edmonton forced Game 7 with a trio of victories after trailing the title series 3-0 — wasn't enough. Wiser and more balanced almost 12 months on, McDavid and Co. are hoping for a different closing chapter with the same opponent. The Oilers open this year's best-of-seven showcase against the Panthers on Wednesday at Rogers Place as a calmer, more confident, grounded bunch. Edmonton rode a roller-coaster of emotion to last year's final. After a horrendous start to the regular season that resulted in a coaching change, the club went down 3-2 in the second round and 2-1 in the Western Conference final before surging to victory. Story continues below advertisement This version trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 in the opening round and has barely looked back since. The Oilers, who are 12-2 over their last 14 contests, won four straight to take that series before disposing of the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in five games apiece. 1:57 Edmonton Oilers advance to Stanley Cup Finals 'Just keep giving yourselves opportunities to be in this position,' McDavid said Tuesday. 'Keep giving yourself chances to win, and eventually it happens. We've done that. We've put ourselves in another good spot. 'Learned a lot of lessons last year in that month that we can use this year.' Last year's playoff push saw McDavid register 42 points — the most ever by a player in a single post-season not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux — while his 34 assists were also a record. Story continues below advertisement 'Winning in the playoffs takes everything you've got,' said McDavid, whose interview station at NHL media day was situated not far from a picture of Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk hoisting the Cup. 'We're in the last series, and it takes even more … they can be draining physically and emotionally, but it's supposed to be.' The Oilers superstar captain and his partner-in-crime, fellow stud centre Leon Draisaitl, have again been excellent this spring, but Edmonton possesses a more balanced attack, with goals from no fewer than 19 different players on the way to the final. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The maturity factor of it,' Draisaitl said of what feels different this time around. 'The experience of having been through the travel, the media attention, knowing what it's all about, knowing the details that go into a game. 'It's exciting to have worked ourselves back into the situation.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl speaks to reporters on June 3, 2025. Global News Edmonton is also relatively healthy, save for grinding, heart-and-soul forward Zach Hyman's upper-body injury suffered against Dallas that likely ended his campaign. Top-six winger Evander Kane was ready in time for the playoffs after missing the entire regular season with abdominal surgery, while minute-crunching defenceman Mattias Ekholm returned to the lineup in Game 5 last round following a long absence due to a lower-body issue. 'We're more patient and more trusting in our game,' Draisaitl said. 'We seem to have an understanding of when to pounce and when to do the right moves and make the right plays, and the plays that are needed in certain moments.' Stuart Skinner has done the job in goal for the Oilers after briefly losing the crease to backup Calvin Pickard for a second straight playoffs, for a group that moves the puck quicker compared to last season. Story continues below advertisement 'There's definitely more of a sense of calm,' said defenceman Darnell Nurse. 'It's definitely a different feel within the group, knowing how much work has to come. When you go through it the first time, there's a heightened level of excitement, a heightened level of everything. 'We're focused on the moment. Our group definitely has little bit of a different mindset.' The Panthers, meanwhile, are in the final for the third straight June. They disposed of the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven despite falling behind 2-0, and the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Led by captain Aleksander Barkov, who won his third Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward this week, and always-quotable head coach Paul Maurice, Florida plays a hard forechecking style that wears down opposing defence corps. Story continues below advertisement A talented, tough-as-nails stable of forwards that includes Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart added Brad Marchand at the trade deadline, and the former Boston Bruins captain has embraced life alongside his former Atlantic Division rivals. Apart from winning for themselves, their teammates, fans and city, the Oilers have the extra burden — like it or not — of Canada's Cup drought that stretches all the way back to Montreal's victory in 1993. Edmonton lost in seven games in 2006 before also going the distance last year, while Vancouver (1994, 2011), Calgary (2004), Ottawa (2007) and Montreal (2021) also came up short at the final hurdle. McDavid said his team is better prepared for the emotions of the final a second time around. 'It can feel like it's larger than it is,' he said. 'At the end of the day, it's another series. We're playing another great team. You've got to beat them before anything else happens. They have our complete focus. All of our energy is in going into beating the Florida Panthers. Story continues below advertisement 'There should be nothing else on anyone's mind.'
